Structure: C15H22O5
Molecular weight:
282.3
Chemical name:
3R,5aS,6R,8aS,9R,12S,12aR)-Octahydro-3,6,9-trimethyl-3,
12-epoxy-12H-pyrano[4.3-j]-1,2-benzodioxepin-10(3H)-one; CAS Reg.
N?63968-64-9
Chemical characteristics:
Lipophylic
substance : Soluble in ethanol and hexane.
Description
: white
crystalline powder
Melting
range
: 150 C?- 153 C?o:p>
Pharmacological
properties:
Artemisinin acts as a blood schizontocide and therefore kills malaria
parasites.
Artemisinin
is the product extracted from the dry leaves of Artemsisia Annua
(sweet wormwood). This plant has to be grown each year stating from
seeds. The plant is peculiar in its behaviour. Nicely grown-up plants
may be devoid of Artemisinin. In order that this product is synthetised
by the plant special agricultural and climatological conditions
must be respected. The plant can grow in many places but it may
not contain Artemisinin.
For example: Visitors of the ancient palaces in the Forbidden City
in Beijing can find nice artemisia annua plants pushing left and
right as weeds, but these plants do not contain artemisinin.
Best results have been obtained in plantations (North Vietnam, mainly
in the vicinity of Hanoi) or in wild plants (the plants collected
from the steep hills around You Yang in the Chongqing province in
China where the best plant grows at altitudes above 1000 m).?The
highest yields per ton dry leaves comes from cultures in Tanzania.
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